AFSCME Endorses Greenfield, Healthcare Workers Back McGuire

Both Theresa Greenfield and Andy McGuire added some support to their respective campaigns for the 3rd Congressional District and governor today. Both Democrats face seven-way primaries to gain the party’s nomination on June 5.

AFSCME Council 61, the Iowa public sector workers union, announced their endorsement of Greenfield in the Democratic primary race to take on incumbent Republican Congressman David Young. It’s one of the biggest gets yet in the 3rd District primary – AFSCME is one of the largest and most politically active unions in the Des Moines-based congressional seat.

“Our members know that she can be counted on to support working families and protect the rights of workers,” AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said in a press release. “Our members work hard and never quit. Theresa has shown those same values throughout her life, and we have no doubt that she will in Congress.”

“Our campaign is about protecting the middle class,” added Greenfield. “I am thrilled to have the support of AFSCME Council 61 because America’s unions are the backbone of that middle class.”

AFSCME often brings with it serious financial backing and volunteers. Greenfield was also endorsed by recently-elected Des Moines City Councilman Josh Mandelbaum a few weeks back, and Mandelbaum’s fundraising network has reportedly already been put to work to aid the 3rd District candidate. Both endorsements may further boost Greenfield’s already-impressive financial reports for the near-future.

Also today, McGuire rolled out a long list of new local supporters backing her gubernatorial run. Over 40 healthcare professionals, from doctors to nurses to pharmacists to medical administrators, announced their support of McGuire, a doctor trained in nuclear medicine.

“Health care is one of the top concerns of almost every Iowan,” said Dr. Julie Thomas, a retired pediatrician from Cedar Rapids, in a statement. “People are losing sleep at night because they are worried about the future of their health care costs and limited options. As a physician, Andy knows that health care is a right, not a privilege. Iowans can count on her to fix our broken system and build an Iowa where everyone has access to affordable health care.”

McGuire has highlighted her background in medicine throughout her candidacy, and it remains one of her biggest strengths in a race dominated by healthcare issues. From the state’s troubled privatized Medicaid system to the worsening mental healthcare crisis in Iowa, McGuire has been able to address many of the topics top on Democrats’ minds with signifiant insight and knowledge.

The full list of current and former healthcare professionals endorsing McGuire are:

Som Baccam, Registered Nurse

Dan Aten, Retired Medical Administrator

Dr. Jason Barker, Infectious Disease Specialist

Dr. Joe Cavanaugh, Professor of Biostatistics

Dr. Steve Eckstat, DO

Dr. Ava Feldman, Dermatologist

Dr. Carole Frier, Internal Medicine Doctor

Dr. Michael Graham, Nuclear Medicine Specialist

Dr. Steven C. Hill, Family Practice Physician

Mary Mincer-Hansen, Former Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health